At White House prayer breakfast, Biden praises Pope Francis

In remarks delivered at the White House Easter Prayer Breakfast on April 5, Vice President Joe Biden praised Pope Francis.

Father Larry Snyder, president of Catholic Charities USA, delivered the invocation at the breakfast.

“For me, the essence of my faith is tolerance: not being judgmental about people of different faiths,” said Biden. “When I was in Rome a few weeks ago, Pope Francis spoke movingly in his homily about our commitments to each other, not just as people of faith, but, he went on to say, but as human beings.”

“I grew up in a tradition of Catholic social doctrine, and I was incredibly impressed by His Holiness’s homily, his sense of social justice,” Biden added. “But I believe his message reads something essential about all faiths, and that is ultimately we all believe that we have a responsibility to one another and we all are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers.”

President Obama then spoke at length about faith.

“In these sacred days, those of us as Christians remember the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for each of us--how, in all His humility and His grace, He took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation,” said the president. “And we recommit ourselves to following His example--to loving the Lord our God with all our hearts and all our souls and with all our minds, and to loving our neighbors as ourselves.”

“While our time on Earth is fleeting, He [Christ] is eternal,” the president continued. “His life, His lessons live on in our hearts and, most importantly, in our actions. When we tend to the sick, when we console those in pain, when we sacrifice for those in need, wherever and whenever we are there to give comfort and to guide and to love, then Christ is with us.”

“So this morning, let us pray that we’re worthy of His many blessings, that this nation is worthy of His many blessings,” he concluded. “Let us promise to keep in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, on this day and on every day, the life and lessons of Christ, our Lord.”

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